


Blind Devotion

by Half



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: F/F, Friends to Lovers, Wish Spirit AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-19
Updated: 2017-08-14
Packaged: 2018-12-04 04:56:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11547924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Half/pseuds/Half
Summary: When Waverly Earp befriends a young wish spirit, they have no idea what they're bringing down upon themselves.





	1. i was young so i forgot

**Author's Note:**

> Evil Plot Cohort: TheGaySmurf

They told her once that if she wasn’t careful, she would end up just like her sister.

Well, she _wasn’t_ careful, as a general rule, and that’s why she was climbing into the back window of a witch’s house.

The woman wasn’t a witch. Probably. At least, she didn’t really _believe_ in witches, so she doubted that the rumors at school were true.

But it didn’t matter. Because she _needed_ this woman to be a witch.

Or something. Anything that could help her.

She crept around the (hopefully) empty home, the pale beam of her flashlight dancing across stacks of books and neatly organized piles of what looked like horseshoes.

Her fingertips danced down the edges of the books in front of her, then, not finding what she was looking for, she carefully headed upstairs.

_This_ was right. A small library that smelled like incense and had things that looked almost like talismans hanging from the ceiling.

If any room in this creepy place was going to have what she was looking for, this was it.

And indeed, there it was. Top book on the pile furthest from the door.

_Spells For Lost Souls_

It had gone missing from the library fifteen years prior, last seen being checked out to the owner of this house, and she had guessed that, given the homeowner’s reputation, ‘gone missing’ hadn’t really been all that honest.

But none of that mattered now. She had what she wanted.

Of course, she should probably check to make sure that it had what she needed…

She flipped open the book to the page she knew would be there: _To Wish For Lost Things_.

In a soft voice, she read the poem aloud.

And immediately, she felt a shift in gravity, a weightlessness in the pit of her stomach. A feeling that was twisty and uncomfortable, but still somehow felt _good_.

She blinked and shook her head, trying to regain her proper sense, and realized that a girl was sitting across from her.

_“Shit_ ,” she hissed, jumping to her feet and backing away.

The girl cocked her head to one side like a puppy, just calmly watching her. Her hair was red- like fall leaves, not a fire engine –and her brown eyes seemed to glow with interest. They were about the same age, but the redhead was lankier, a good three inches taller. After a moment, realization clicked on her face, and she scrambled to her feet.

She pulled a few notecards out of the pocket of her suit jacket as if she was getting ready for a class presentation and cleared her throat. Then, her voice squeaking a little, sounding as if she was mimicking someone far older than her, she read off the card.

“Human! For what have you summoned me? I am the great wish spirit, and…” Her voice trailed off, and she mumbled, “No, that’s not right. I think I’m supposed to get the human’s name first? Is that a bracket?”

“U-Uhm…”

The redhead looked up at her and shoved the notecards back into her pocket. “Never could pay attention. What’s your name?”

“W-Waverly?”

“Are you unsure?”

“I know my name is Waverly, but I don’t know what _you_ are.”

The redhead blinked. “Did I… Did I not say I was a wish spirit? Hm. I could’ve sworn that was on the notecard…”

“No, no, you said that, but I don’t know what a wish spirit _is_.”

“A spirit. Who. Does wishes?”

Waverly rubbed the back of her neck. “You’re new at this, aren’t you?”

“First summon. I’m Nicole.” The girl sat down again and patted the book Waverly had read from. “This. You said this spell, yes?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Right! So you summoned me!”

“Uhm. How?”

“… Magic?”

“Magic isn’t real.”

“Okay.” Nicole produced a bag of sour Skittles out of nowhere and leaned back against a bookshelf. “Then I’m a hallucination. Which one is preferable?”

“You’ve got a mouth for an eight-year-old.”

“I’m _obviously_ eleven.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry.”

Nicole threw a Skittle at her. “And you have just as much of a mouth as I do.”

“Well regardless. If you’re some big scary spirit, why are you a kid like me?”

“Like ya said. I’m new.” Nicole held out the bag of candy. “Skittle?”

“What? No.”

“Wish?”

“What?”

“You summoned a wish spirit,” Nicole said with a sigh as if it were the dumbest question she had ever heard in her life. “That means you have a _wish_.”

Waverly bit her lip, thinking. “So is it like a three wishes kinda thing?”

“Dude. No. I’m no genie.”

“I was just _asking_.” Waverly shifted a bit closer. Stole a Skittle. Ignored Nicole’s smirk. “So I just… make my wish? And you grant it?”

“Well there are rules. A lot of rules. There’s about a dozen notecards for that. And I gotta _want_ to do it.” Nicole pointed a finger right in Waverly’s face. “You can’t _make_ me do _anythin’_.”

“Why not?”

Nicole, chewing around a mouthful of Skittles, mumbled, “Not a genie.”

“Fair.” Waverly narrowed her eyes. “What’s the catch?”

“Hm?”

“Y’know. Like are you gonna sell my soul to Satan or something if I make this wish.”

“Do I look like a demon t’you?” Nicole asked, pouting.

“Depends. Do y’know what I’ve read about red hair?”

Nicole threw another Skittle at her. “Make your damn wish.”

Waverly took in a long, slow breath. “I wish that my sister- my sister Wynonna Earp –would come home. I-I… miss her.”

Nicole cocked her head to the side again and studied her. Seemed to… _examine_ her, as if she could see everything Waverly was thinking and know everything Waverly had ever thought.

“You’re lonely,” she whispered.

“I just… want my big sister back,” Waverly replied, her head bowed, almost broken under Nicole’s scrutiny.

“Well, I can’t _control_ her. But I can weigh fate in your favor.” Nicole scooted closer to Waverly and reached up, gently brushing a tear off of Waverly’s cheek. “D’you have a phone?”

“A cellphone?”

“Mhm.”

“Uh… y-yeah.”

“Call your sister. Tell her want her to come back. Tell her you need to see her. You want to be with her. That it’s okay.”

“That’s never worked before,” Waverly murmured.

Nicole smiled, and Waverly felt warmer than if she was standing directly next to a fire bundled under a blanket on the coldest day of the year. “Don’t you get it, Waverly?”

“Get what?”

“You _wished_ for it.”

And then the girl was gone, in the amount of time it took Waverly to blink.

 

+++

 

They don’t realize their mistake until about a month later (because they’re children and they don’t think of these things).

Waverly sat at her desk, spinning around in her chair, frustration flowing through her body. She picked up a stress ball and tossed it across her room.

And smacked Nicole in the face as she appeared directly in front of it.

“Ow,” Nicole mumbled, rubbing her forehead.

Waverly looked her up and down, taking in the pajamas, the loose ponytail, and the toothbrush hanging out of Nicole’s mouth. “Uh. Bad time?”

Nicole took the toothbrush out and spit into Waverly’s trashcan. “What the hell. Did you summon me again?” she asked, voice heavy with exhaustion as she rubbed at her eyes.

“No?”

“Then why’d I come here?”

“That would be a question I should be asking you, I’d think.”

“M’only s’posed to come if I’m summoned,” Nicole muttered. “You’re sure you didn’t?”

“Pretty sure. I was just sitting here wishing that I was better at math. And then. You.”

“Uh. Well. Dunno what that’s about.” Nicole waved her hand absentmindedly. “Now you can study for math better for the next year.”

“Thanks. You look like you need some sleep.”

“Mhm. Doc says I’m too young for coffee.”

“Doc?”

“My… mentor… advisor… guardian… whatever.” Nicole sleepily patted Waverly on the top of the head. “Math better.”

Waverly laughed and ducked away from Nicole’s touch. “I’ll certainly give it a shot. After all. I wished for it, right?”

“Yeah, sure, whatever.”

Waverly laughed again. “Go _home_ , Nicole.”

The wish spirit nodded and vanished, and Waverly shook her head with a small smile.

And wondered how she could get the girl to come back to her again.

 

+++

 

When Nicole next showed up, Waverly was sitting at a small table in the backyard with a few stuffed animals.

“Waverly? What’s wrong?”

“I-I just…” Waverly shrugged. “Care for a tea party?”

“What’s a tea party?”

“You don’t…” Waverly scoffed, offended. She stood up and grabbed Nicole by the shoulders, shoving her down into an empty seat. “How do you not know what a tea party is? _Every_ little girl at least know what it _is_.”

Nicole squinted at her. “I’m not _human_.”

“Hm. True.” Waverly handed Nicole a plastic teacup filled with juice and shoved a chocolate chip cookie into her hand. “Then you’re going to learn.”

“Waverly,” Nicole murmured, watching Waverly desperately straighten the tablecloth. “What wish has brought me here?”

“I-I just…” Waverly shrugged again and adjusted one of the stuffed animals in a chair next to her. “I want a friend,” she whispered.

There was a lengthy pause as Nicole studied her. Then she frowned down at the cup of juice. “Well then. Explain this ‘tea party’ to me.”

 

+++

 

Nicole laid on Waverly’s bed, playing with a baseball as Waverly got ready to leave. “This is a big day, right?”

“Yes,” Waverly breathed, checking her bag for her calculator. “I can’t really afford to keep taking the SAT over and over again. I need to get the highest score possible on the first go.”

“Okay.” Nicole craned her neck and looked over at her. “You don’t really need me for that. You’re brilliant.”

Waverly laughed and pressed a friendly kiss to Nicole’s forehead. “Thank you, but I’m still scared out of my mind.”

“Well, what are you wishing for, then?”

“Just… can I wish that I won’t panic in the middle of the exam?”

“Of course.”

Waverly let out a long, slow breath and sat down on the bed, collapsing back on top of Nicole’s torso. “Thank you.”

“You’re going to do fine, you know.”

“Oh yeah? Are you a seer now?”

Nicole laughed and smacked Waverly on the shoulder. “Shut up, asshole.”

Waverly grinned at her, not even noticing the warmth in her chest. “Never.”

 

+++

 

Waverly snuck away from her graduation, ducking under the bleachers where she had spotted Nicole earlier.

“You made sure Wynonna came,” she said softly.

“That’s what you wished.”

Waverly gave her a tight hug. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. You deserved it.”

“But how are you still here?” Waverly leaned back, frowning up at her friend. “Don’t you have to leave when you’re finished the wish?”

“I know.” Nicole pushed a strand of Waverly’s hair behind her ear. “But I wanted to be here.” She smirked. “I’ve told you before, Earp. I do have free will.”

“Well then.” Waverly settled back into the hug. “Thank you for using it on me.”

 

+++

 

Her freshman year was going well, but Waverly couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something missing. It was a feeling twisting around in the pit of her stomach, and it just wouldn’t leave her alone.

As she paced around her room, staring at the floor, she let out a startled squeak when she walked directly into Nicole.

“Are you okay?” Nicole asked urgently, grabbing her by the shoulders. There was fear and panic in her eyes that shook Waverly even further.

“What?”

“Christ, Waverly, I can feel your soul crying out. It _hurts_. What’s _wrong_?”

It took Waverly by surprise, the concern clear on Nicole’s face. There was a long pause before she stammered, “I-I… I don’t know. I just feel… Something feels wrong, and I can’t place it.”

“I can help you, if you wish it. But I need something concrete to work with.” Nicole bent down a bit so that she could more easily meet Waverly’s gaze. “Please, Waverly, let me do something for you. _Anything_.”

Waverly stumbled over her words, trying to find the right wish. Then, as she gazed into Nicole’s worried eyes, the truth tumbled over her like a pile of bricks.

“I-I wish…” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “I wish for you.”

Nicole blinked, stunned. Before she could respond, Waverly surged forward and kissed her.


	2. we were thrown together

The kiss lingered between them, soft and slow and sweet.

Then, as urgently as it had begun, Nicole pulled away.

“Waverly,” she whispered.

“I’m sorry,” Waverly stammered. “I-I… I thought you…”

Nicole took Waverly’s face in her hands and smiled. “Don’t apologize,” she murmured. “Please. I just... We _can’t_ , Waverly. For hell’s sake, I’m immortal. I’ll stop aging at twenty-five.” She brushed her thumb against Waverly’s cheek. “You deserve better than that. You deserve someone who can spend the rest of their life with you.”

“But I don’t care about that,” Waverly protested. “I want _you_.”

Nicole chuckled softly, brushing another kiss to Waverly’s lips. “I know. But I told you, Waverly. We can’t always get what we wish.”

Her eyes watering, she kissed Waverly on the forehead, then disappeared, leaving Waverly alone in the dorm room.

 

+++

 

Waverly spent the rest of her freshman year forbidding herself from wishing.

When she met the boy with the cute smile her sophomore year, it made it easier to get a bit lost.

For a while.

 

+++

 

She was in a screaming match with Champ in the middle of the field outside her dorm when suddenly Nicole was there, shoving him away from her.

“Who the hell do you think you are?” he demands, getting in Nicole’s face.

“Champ, don’t,” Waverly said, exhaustion in her voice. “This… This is m-my friend, Nicole.”

“Well, what does she-”

“Can you just go away, Champ? Please?”

He opened his mouth to argue, thought better of it when he saw the rage in Nicole’s eyes, and stormed off.

Waverly turned to Nicole as she ran a hand through her hair. “What are you doing here?” she asked in a whisper.

“You called for me.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Wave. You know I sense these things. I can’t help but come. I-I _have_ to.”

Waverly folded her arms across her chest. “Yeah? Well you can go back.”

Nicole put her hands into her pockets. “What if I don’t want to?”

“Then you should be a bit smarter with your _free will_.”

The wish spirit gave her a mournful look. “It’s been a year, Waverly. You haven’t kept me away this long in a while.”

“Maybe I’m just trying to live without relying on magic.”

“Okay.” Nicole glanced in the direction Champ had left in. “With _that_?”

“He’s nice.”

Nicole snorted. “Sure seemed like it.”

Waverly shoved past her, heading after her boyfriend. “You make your own choices, Nicole. I make mine, too.”

 

+++

 

Nicole showed up again to break up an argument between them in a bar.

Champ, drunk and angry, tried to take a swing at her, and she punched him in the face and put him to the floor.

Waverly couldn’t help but giggle.

“Okay,” she whispered to Nicole as Champ staggered back to his feet. “I’m not as mad at you anymore.”

Nicole beamed at her, but it didn’t change the pain in her heart when Waverly went to help escort Champ out of the bar.

 

+++

 

Waverly sat in her room, curled up on her bed with her face buried in her knees and crying.

She felt a weight settle on the mattress next to her, and a warm hand rested on the back of her neck.

“Are you okay?” Nicole asked softly.

“No,” Waverly replied, her voice muffled. “He’s cheating on me.”

They sat in silence for several minutes, interrupted only by Waverly’s tears.

“You deserve better, you know.”

Waverly let out a low sob and shifted sideways, lying in Nicole’s lap and allowing the wish spirit to hold her as she cried.

“What do you wish, Waverly?” Nicole murmured.

“That I was stronger,” Waverly sniffled.

“Oh, honey,” Nicole said, stroking Waverly’s hair. “You already are.”

 

+++

 

“Why did I go to college? Why? I mean… just. Just why? Tests are stupid. Homework is stupid. Papers are stupid. Look at this! I could just _not show up_ for this final exam, and I would still get a 97% in the class. But then.. then this other one… if I don’t get at least a B on the final, I’m failing the class, because it’s worth 60% of my grade. Who does this shit? Why? Who the fuck does this? Why can’t I just become a hermit and live in a cave in a mountainside and befriend a hawk that can kill rabbits for me and we’ll have cookouts and eat small woodland creatures and berries to survive and we _won’t have to be in fucking college!_ ”

Nicole just continued nodding slowly, her eyes glazed over.

Waverly laughed and patted her on the cheek. “Am I overwhelming you?”

“I-I, uhm… I don’t have a notecard for this situation.”

“You can’t tell me that you haven’t had a client with major college stress before,” Waverly said as she added another colored Post-It flag to her textbook.

“Mm. I don’t really have many other people that I grant wishes to. And you’re the only person that I do it for consistently.”

“Really? Why?”

Nicole shrugged. “No idea. I can just _feel_ you. Specifically you.”

Waverly reached over and tapped Nicole on the nose, making her flinch. “There will be no _feeling_ of me, Ms. Haught.”

“Oh, shut up.”

 

+++

 

Nicole leaned against the wall as Waverly affixed her graduation cap to her head. “You look beautiful, Waverly,” she said softly.

“Thank you.” Waverly glanced at Nicole, dapper in the suit that had grown and matured with her. “You always look beautiful.”

With a soft laugh, Nicole moved forward to adjust her tie in Waverly’s mirror. “I give it my best shot.”

“C-Can…”

“Hm?”

“Can I wish that you’ll be at my graduation today?”

The look Nicole gave her was soft and warm and made Waverly’s heart melt. “Rabid coyotes couldn’t drag me away.”

Waverly giggled.

“That’s not the phrase, is it?”

“No, not typically.” Waverly patted Nicole on the cheek. “But I appreciate the sentiment regardless.”

 

+++

 

She could see Nicole, lingering in the back of the auditorium so that no one really noticed her.

Wynonna and Gus were right there in their row, beaming at Waverly as she walked across the stage, and she felt their pride lighting her footsteps.

But the grin on Nicole’s lips made the whole thing even better.

 

+++

 

She and her family went out for dinner, then Waverly went back to her off-campus apartment to sleep before she had to start moving all of her belongings back home.

Her heart skipped a beat when she found Nicole waiting for her.

“What are you doing here?” Waverly murmured.

“You want me here,” Nicole replied simply.

“I do.” Waverly reached out, stroking her fingers across Nicole’s cheek, watching Nicole’s eyes flutter closed at the contact.

“Waverly,” Nicole whispered. “I’m no good for you.”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” Waverly whispered back. “Don’t you get it, Nicole? I trust you to always be there, because I know you will be. I don’t care that it’ll be complicated. I love you, Nicole Haught.”

“I wish this were easier,” Nicole said.

Waverly bowed her head. “You’re still saying no?”

Nicole lifted Waverly’s chin to look into her eyes. “I’m just saying I wish it were easier.” She kissed Waverly hard on the mouth. “We spirits don’t wish very often, you know.”

There was a long pause where they stared at each other, shock freezing Waverly in place.

Then they yanked each other into a fervid kiss, pushing and pulling at clothing and dragging each other towards the bedroom.


	3. kiss me darling (it's been a long time)

When Waverly opened her eyes, she realized that her bed was empty.

She wasn’t entirely surprised, but it still sent a shockwave of pain splintering through her heart.

Waverly got out of bed and started pacing, fury shaking through her body. She didn’t really know why she was so angry. But for some reason, knowing that Nicole would just leave in the middle of the night with no explanation made her wish she could…

Nicole appeared in the room, fumbling to tuck her shirt into her unbuttoned dress pants.

“What are you doing?” Waverly asked, eyebrow raised.

“S-Sorry. I-I. I just. Uhm.”

Before she could really answer, Waverly’s anger took back over. “Why the hell did you leave? Huh? If you regretted what we did, you could’ve at least had the guts to tell me, you ass-”

“I didn’t intend to,” Nicole said, her voice coming out in a rushed breath. She buttoned her pants and awkwardly pulled her jacket on properly. “Believe me. I did not intend to wake up facedown on the floor of the netherworld, completely naked, with my mentor staring at me with one of those ‘ah, kids these days’ looks.”

Waverly stifled a snicker behind her hand. “And how was that?”

_“Cold.”_ Nicole grumbled and adjusted her tie. “I can’t feel anything, but I can feel cold? How is that fair?”

“Wait. If you don’t… If you don’t _feel anything_ …” Waverly fidgeted awkwardly with the ties on her pajama pants. “What was last night like for you?”

“Hm? Oh. Well.” Nicole flushed red and leaned against the dresser. “Trust me, I enjoyed it, if that’s what you’re worried about. I just…” She shrugged. “I don’t like… get off? I don’t feel that sort of thing during sex, because of what I am.” She pointed at the right side of Waverly’s chest. “But I _do_ feel _that_.”

“… My boobs? Yeah, you felt them a lot, hotshot.”

Nicole pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed.

“Oh. Heart. Sorry.”

“My point being,” Nicole said, a faint laugh in her voice. “Your thought is correct. I didn’t really get much out of it _physically_. But it didn’t matter.” She crossed the room, gently pushing Waverly onto her back and getting on top of her. “My heart was trying to crawl its way out of my chest, Waves. And I could feels yours trying to do the same. In the end, that I can feel how much it mattered to the both of us meant far more than some sensation in my gut.”

Waverly skimmed her finger down the line of Nicole’s jaw and leaned up to kiss her. “If you didn’t intend to leave,” she whispered, “why did you go?”

“Because I can’t stay.” Nicole kissed the hollow of Waverly’s throat. “I’m not human, Waverly. I don’t play by the same rules of your world. I wish I did. I wish I could be with you. But there’s a limit on how long I can be here, be with you, and I don’t know how to get around it. No one has ever done it before.” She smiled slightly against Waverly’s skin. “It’s not on one of the notecards.”

Waverly chuckled and threaded her fingers through Nicole’s hair. “Can I wish for it?”

“I’m afraid not,” Nicole whispered.

“Can I wish to bed you again?”

Nicole moved up, staring down at Waverly with mischief in her eyes. “You most certainly can, Waverly Earp.”

 

+++

 

They discovered fairly quickly that dating between a human and a wish spirit was far from a simple endeavor.

“I’m sorry,” Nicole murmured as she kissed behind Waverly’s ear and took a seat across from her in the restaurant. “I couldn’t hear you.”

“Guess I need to learn how to wish harder,” Waverly joked, her voice strained. She took a sip of her water. “You don’t have money, do you?”

Nicole flushed bright red. “U-Uhm. Uh. I-I-I don’t…” She fumbled around with her pockets. “I thought I had figured out how to…”

“Hey.” Waverly reached across the table and stroked the back of Nicole’s hand. “I’m not expecting you to pay for anything. It was just a joke. Okay?”

“I know, but… I hate that I can’t really _take you on a date_. I feel useless, Waverly.”

“Believe me, Nicole. You are not useless. Ever.” Waverly danced a kiss to Nicole’s knuckles. “You’ve been an unwavering support beam in my life, and I’m not sure what I would ever do without you.”

Nicole gave her a sad smile. “I’m immortal, Waverly. You’ll never have to find that out.”

The implied ‘but I will’ hung over them for the rest of dinner.

 

+++

 

Waverly laid in bed, watching Nicole sleep next to her. The spirit had put on sweatpants and a t-shirt that Waverly had swiped from Wynonna’s room so that she could stay without fear of waking up in the other world naked.

Nicole rolled over, mumbling under her breath. Waverly tried to shift closer to her, to press up against her, but she blinked and Nicole was gone.

 

+++

 

“We have to talk,” Nicole murmured, holding Waverly in her lap as they sat on the porch of the Earp homestead.

“What about?”

“I’m almost twenty-five.”

Waverly turned her head and pressed a kiss to Nicole’s cheek. “What does that mean?”

Nicole was silent for a moment, until Waverly kissed her cheek again. She took in a slow, deep breath. “Baby, when I hit twenty-five, I’m going to stop aging. That’s how it always is with wish spirits.”

“It’s going to be okay,” Waverly whispered immediately.

“How?” Nicole rested her forehead against the side of Waverly’s head. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to do this, Waves. I don’t know how I’m supposed to live forever without you by my side.”

Waverly fidgeted with Nicole’s fingers, staring off into the distance. “Well. There is one idea.”

“Oh?”

“Remember when we first met?”

“Of course. How could I forget that? You stole one of my Skittles.”

Waverly snorted and lightly tapped their heads together. “My point is. That house we were in. Everybody always said she was a witch. She had the book that gave me the spell to summon you.”

“You think… You think she could do something? That could help us?”

Waverly turned Nicole’s head towards her and kissed her roughly on the mouth. “I think I’m willing to do whatever I can to try.”

 

+++

 

Nicole paced around the bright white netherworld, waiting for the pull in her gut that would return her to Waverly.

They didn’t know where the witch was yet.

But she knew Waverly would find it.

“What are you thinkin’ of doing, Nicole Haught?”

She turned, seeing the man who had mentored her since she came into existence standing a few feet away from her in his crisp suit and cowboy hat.

“Believe me,” he said softly. “It’s not so easy to wish away your own life.”

“Doc,” she murmured. “I love you as both mentor and brother. But I love Waverly Earp with every single fiber of this form that holds my being. I would sacrifice immortality in a heartbeat to grow old with her.”

He walked up to her, patting her cheek with affectionate familiarity. “You got emotionally attached to that girl the moment you granted her first wish,” he said. “That’s why you keep getting summoned back to her. That’s why you can’t help but respond to her every wish.”

“Is that wrong?”

“No. But it’ll doom you to give up every part of the life you’ve known.”

“For her?” Nicole shrugged. “I’m okay with that.”

Doc gave a small grin. “You really are in over your head, aren’t you, girl?”

“Oh,” Nicole laughed. _“Drowning.”_

He patted her cheek again and sighed. “Alright,” he whispered. “Just… don’t lose the things that make you _you_ , okay? And make sure you’re really in love with this mortal before you sign yourself away for her.”

“I already know that I am, Doc. I promise.” Nicole shoved her hands into her pockets. “She’s everything.” Nicole grinned. “And she’s calling me.”

 

+++

 

Nicole appeared in a small room that smelled of mixtures of herbs. She immediately doubled over, pain spiking through her head.

“Sorry, sorry,” an unfamiliar voice said. “I didn’t think about the wards.”

The pain slowly ebbed away, and when Nicole blinked her eyes back open, she found herself standing in the middle of a chalk circle, staring at Waverly and a woman she didn’t recognize.

“I’m Mattie, “ the woman said. “Ms. Earp here has been filling me in on your… situation. If you stay in that circle, you’ll be okay. I block spirits out of my house; I hadn’t even considered the fact that you would count.”

“It’s okay. It was only mild excruciating pain.”

Waverly raised an eyebrow at her. “You don’t feel things.”

“Trust me, Waves,” Nicole said dryly. “I felt _that_.”

“To get you both back on target,” Mattie said briskly, rummaging around in a box, “you should know something. I can help you, but Nicole will be fully mortal. She will never be able to be a wish spirit again. She will live and die the life of a normal human, and she will never be able to grant wishes again.”

Waverly balked. “You mean… you can’t just… I don’t know, make it so that she can age with me?”

Mattie shook her head. “It doesn’t work like that. Wish spirits are… _interesting_ creatures. Very noble. Very loyal. Very immortal. It’s one or the other on that deal. You can’t screw around with the recipe.”

“But I…”

“Waves?” Nicole frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“I-I… Nicole, I don’t want to destroy your life. I don’t want to be the one who takes your immortality.” Waverly swallowed, tears brimming in her eyes. “Nic, I love you, but I can’t watch you die.”

“You won’t,” Nicole insisted, stepping forward to the edge of her circle. “Waverly, please, don’t make me spend immortality without you.” Her voice cracked. “I can’t do it.”

“There’s another way for that, too,” Mattie said softly. “I can sever the link between you two. It would prevent Nicole from being summoned when Waverly wishes for something.”

Waverly swallowed again, staring at Nicole’s desperate face. “How would I do that?”

“Wave, no, _please_.”

Mattie handed Waverly a glowing knife. “If you stab Nicole with this knife, it will strip her immortality without actually harming her. If you stab it into your own palm, it will sever the connection between you two.”

Nicole tried to step forward again, lingering uncomfortably at the edge of the circle. “Waverly, baby, please, please don’t do this to me, please don’t send me away, please, I can’t do this, I can’t live alone in eternity, _please, Waverly_.”

Waverly shook her head stiffly, giving Nicole a warm, sad smile. “I love you, Nicole.”

She stabbed the knife into her palm.


	4. all the promises i made

The pain in her chest was so heavy that the weight brought her collapsing onto her knees. A constant thumping was pounding around in her head, a pattern slamming against the inside of her skull. Air struggling through her lungs felt stale and harsh, and-

Air.

_Air._

She was breathing. Really, actually breathing. Not the false breaths that had moved her chest in the past to make her look more human.

Nicole Haught was breathing.

“It hurts,” she managed, and her voice sounded wrong, lower, as if it was coming out of a different body. She moaned and fell over onto her back, gasping to try to fill her lungs.

“What’s happening?” she heard Waverly demand. _“What did you do to her?”_

Mattie’s voice was calm and quiet. “Relax, Ms. Earp. Humanity is more painful than any of us ever seem to think.”

“What?” Waverly came into view, fear in her eyes as she looked down at Nicole. “I thought... you said if I stabbed my hand…”

“We’ll talk about it when you’ve gotten her soothed and the transition is over,” Mattie said. “Comfort your girl, Waverly Earp. She’s learning how to breathe. How to feel. Wish spirits don’t really have heartbeats, you know. She’s probably hearing it right now. Give her some time, then come to the living room. We’ll have tea.” Her footsteps faded away.

Waverly leaned down and kissed Nicole on the forehead. “You’re okay, baby,” she whispered as darkness edged around Nicole’s vision. “It’s okay. I’m right here. Just breathe. It’s okay… I’m…”

Whatever else she said, Nicole didn’t hear, as unconsciousness took her over.

 

+++

 

When Nicole finally regained consciousness, Waverly led her after Mattie and helped her into a chair. Waverly sat down on the arm of the chair and gripped Nicole’s hand tightly.

“You told me,” Waverly rasped, “that I would be severing the link between us. That the _opposite_ would be making Nicole human.”

Mattie smiled slightly. “That’s why I told you, yes.”

“I don’t understand.”

Mattie turned her gaze to Nicole. “Do you love this woman?”

“Yes,” Nicole said immediately. “More than anything.”

“Have you figured out what’s happened yet?”

Nicole’s brow furrowed. “It was a test.”

Waverly glanced down at her. “What?”

“Very good,” Mattie said. “I needed to know how much you truly cared about Nicole Haught. I needed to know whether you would be someone who would help her handle the transition from spirit to human. I needed to know that you weren’t just someone who would prioritize your own feelings over Nicole.”

“So you lied,” Waverly whispered.

“So I lied. I flipped the answers. I told you the reverse solutions, and I waited to see what would happen.” Mattie gestured at Nicole. “And now you have your love, Waverly Earp. She’ll grow old with you. She’ll be a human. Isn’t that what you wanted?”

Waverly swallowed, her thumb brushing against the back of Nicole’s hand. She met Nicole’s gaze and asked, “Is it what _you_ wanted?”

Nicole smiled softly and reached up, stroking Waverly’s cheek. “I want _you_. Of course this is what I wanted.”

Waverly leaned down and pressed their foreheads together, finally releasing the laughter that had been caught in her chest. “Then yes,” she whispered, kissing Nicole softly. “Thank you. _Yes._ ”

 

+++

 

“What does it feel like?” Waverly asked, driving back home with Nicole in the passenger seat.

“I keep forgetting to breathe,” Nicole said, rubbing at her collarbone. “I’m assuming that I’ll get used to it eventually, but it’s very disturbing. And do you always hear your heartbeat like this? It’s _annoying_.”

“I’m pretty sure that we get used to that when we’re infants and don’t notice it ever again.”

“Oh.” Nicole frowned. “Dammit.”

Waverly laughed and patted her knee. “You have a lot of things to figure out, don’t you, baby?”

Nicole groaned and covered her eyes. “God, wish spirits don’t _shower_ , we don’t use the _bathroom_ , we don’t have to _change clothes_ , we don’t have to _drive_ , we don’t need to _eat or drink_ … This is going to be hell.”

“But you need to brush your teeth?”

“Hm?”

“The second time you came to see me, you had a toothbrush in your mouth.”

“Dental health is important.”

Waverly laughed and shook her head. “God, I love you.”

Nicole smirked at her. “I would hope so at this point.”

“So would I.” Waverly glanced at her. “You realize that we’ll have to figure out a backstory that my family will actually believe.”

“Y-Your family,” Nicole repeated hoarsely.

“Yep. You don’t have a home, or a birth certificate, or money, or any form of I.D., babe. You literally _have_ to come home with me.”

“I’m not complaining about that, but, like, your family? What am I supposed to say to them?”

“You’re charming. Don’t you have a notecard?”

Nicole stared at her, pale. “You’re mocking me. That’s not very nice.”

“I’m just preparing you for the shit you’re going to get from Wynonna and Gus,” Waverly said with a smirk.

“Oh God. I take it back. I take it all back. Please kill me.”

Waverly laughed, a high, joyful laugh that made Nicole grin. “Nope. You’re mine now.”

Nicole’s eyes were soft. “I’ve always been yours.”

“See?” Waverly prompted, the tips of her ears reddening. “Charming.”

 

+++

 

“Looks like nobody’s home,” Waverly said as she pulled to a stop in front of her house. “Good. We can get settled in before we have to come up with explanations.”

“It’s not too late to elope,” Nicole mumbled under her breath.

“Nicole Haught, are you proposing?” Waverly teased.

Her lover choked on the air she was trying to pull into her lungs. “U-Uhm.”

“Breathe, baby. One thing at a time.” Waverly parked, got out, and went around to Nicole’s side. She leaned against Nicole, lightly pinning her against the car door. “You know, Nic, you haven’t thought of the best thing about being human yet.”

“Oh? What’s that?”

Waverly kissed her fiercely, her fingers brushing the back of Nicole’s neck. When the kiss broke, she pushed up onto her toes so that her lips were next to Nicole’s ear and whispered, “You’ll be able to _feel_ what sex with me is like now.”

She was pressed so closely against Nicole that she felt the shiver run all the way through the former wish spirit’s body.

“Oh, Waverly Earp, what have you done to me?” Nicole murmured, her shaky hands resting on Waverly’s hips.

Waverly kissed her again, long and slow. “Oh, Nicole Haught. Not nearly enough.” She grinned, grabbed Nicole by the hand, and, laughing, pulled her into the house at a run.

 

+++

 

Waverly woke up early in the morning with a deep fear flooded through her.

She was afraid to turn around. Terrified, in all honesty.

Regardless of what had happened, regardless of what Mattie had said, regardless of what Nicole told her had changed.

She was convinced that, if she rolled over, Nicole would be gone.

Waverly laid there, wide awake and scared, for several minutes, trying desperately to listen for Nicole’s breathing.

“Nicole?” she finally whispered softly, still afraid to look.

She couldn’t begin to describe her relief when warm arms wrapped around her and pulled her close. Nicole kissed the back of her neck gently and mumbled, “What’s wrong, baby?”

Waverly twisted around so that she could kiss Nicole on the lips, then wrapped around Nicole more firmly, her head resting under Nicole’s chin.

“No,” she whispered. “Nothing is wrong. I don’t think anything will be wrong again for a very, very long time.”

As they drifted off together, the fear ebbed away.

For the first time since their first night, Waverly knew that she would be allowed to wake up to the woman she loved.


End file.
